All About Food

It’s all natural

August 12th, 2015

HPR visits Mara Solberg’s organic farm

It wasn't too long ago that you didn't have to stamp “organic” on food products so people would know they weren't full of chemicals and that they were devoid of harmful toxins. All foods were pretty much natural and organic.

So as I drove through the achingly flat acres of industrialized farms just south of Fargo to visit Mara Solberg and her husband, it reinforced in me the need for more people like them, old-school farmers tending a…

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​A whole new world

August 5th, 2015

Cafe Aladdin offers Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine at its finest

When I moved here over 37 years ago, the ethnic food in the area was limited. In 1980, a gentleman by the name of Ahmad Younis and his family moved to the Fargo area because he could not find the work he was looking for. In 1990, he opened a street trailer (the first one in the Fargo-Moorhead area to my knowledge). He and his brother Younis Younis, opened their first restaurant, Aladdin's Market and Deli, in 1994 on Sixth…

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​Gluten Free: Fad, Trend or Real Epidemic

July 29th, 2015

That byline alone is going to get some people’s attention probably annoying the hell out of some. And most likely they are people I know and value. After cooking umpteen thousands of meals in various situations over 40 years in the hospitality industry I am amazed at how many people now want gluten-free. So it made me ask the question is this an epidemic, a fad or a trend?

Consider this. Four years ago I moved to Fargo from Houston, Texas where I was a chef for about 23 years. I cooked…

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​Pounds downtown

July 9th, 2015

I recently found out about Pounds, the new restaurant located in downtown Fargo, at 612 First Ave. N. Formerly the Beefsteak Club, the new eatery is still right next to Wurst Bier Hall and Drekker Brewing Co.

I was curious about the name, as I assumed that it meant the restaurant served huge hamburgers, but that is not what it’s about at all. To learn more, I had a nice visit with one of the owners, Alan Kasin.

First thing I asked Alan was when the restaurant was due to open, because…

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​Smoky, chewy and savory BBQ ribs—vegan style

July 1st, 2015

By Kathleen Keene

A lot of people who don't eat animal products find themselves in a quandary during holidays such as the 4th of July. Not wanting to feel left out, they often desire to join the festivities and merrymaking. When you bring this dish to your backyard barbecue, people will wonder what kind of meat you brought. You can tell them it's wheat meat! After all, meat doesn't own the flavors or textures people associate with it: smoky, chewy, savory, and of course, barbecued!

Vegan…

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​Luna: “Your Neighborhood Kitchen”

June 24th, 2015

Photo by Tyler Schafer Nestled in an unassuming space next door to Bernie’s Wines and Liquors is a little gem of a “coffee shop, wine and beer bar, restaurant, and cheese shop all in one.” Over the past year or so, Luna has undergone some major changes, and it has emerged as one of the premier eateries in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

From Coffee to Wine

In its original incarnation, Luna was a coffee shop. Its transformation began when current owner Nikki Ness Berglund purchased it with the vision of turning…

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The skinny on corn

June 24th, 2015

Photo by Steven De Polo

June 21, the official start of summer. The longest day of the year. The day Druid types gather at Stonehenge and celebrate the day reenacting whatever it was those wacky Druids did back in the day. The original Renaissance Festival. Even though our summer might have just begun it’s been in full bloom south of here.

When I saw that heaping pile of fresh corn at the market I knew it was on. There is nothing better than fresh, buttery, sweet corn on the cob to bring on that summertime…

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​The Great American Cookout

June 17th, 2015

Photo by Don Harder Burgers, burgers, burgers. Gotta love a great burger grilled in the great outdoors, with charcoal, wood or gas. Regardless, you are outside in the summer grilling. Damn, I get hot just thinking about standing over a robust fire in a wet bathing suit, watching slow cooked briskets on the smoker or greasy, delicious hamburgers getting ready for that toasty bun. It is summer in the Upper Midwest and it is a special time.

My charcoal grill is firing up right now for some really good charred…

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Carrot Confessions

June 17th, 2015

Photo by flikr user Whatley Dude With the summer here and the vegetables growing and popping up out of our beautiful soil it makes me think that I should broaden my horizons and try some new veggies.

I say new because, believe it or not, I just don't have a hankering for one of them. People are totally surprised and shocked whenever I tell them I don't like carrots.

So I'm making it my goal to find recipes that include carrots, and which I think I would be OK with. Of course what I’ve come up with is the tiny, thin,…

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​‘Urban american’ foods at The District Waterhouse & Kitchen

June 10th, 2015

Photo by Jared WinwillBy Shelly Smithson

Located next to the new Bottle Barn in the flourishing city of West Fargo, The District Waterhouse & Kitchen is a distinct addition to the city’s thriving restaurant scene.

What sets it apart? The District is the first and only bar in the area to feature the hottest new trend in wine: wines on tap.

Before you turn your nose up at the very thought of wine flowing from a tap, allow me to put your mind at ease. This isn’t Franzia; these are premium wines that are…

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